In the latest edition of Sky Bet’s The Overlap, Gary Neville spoke to former on pitch domestic rival, but also former England teammate, Frank Lampard about management challenges. 

At the height of their respective careers, Neville and Lampard faced each repeatedly in the Premier League with Manchester United and Chelsea, the two most dominant domestic English teams of the era. 

A unique series divided by the Flutter Entertainment brand’s marketing team, The Overlap sees Neville sit down with a number of prominent faces from British sports, including Premier League winner Alan Shearer and two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua.

Although fifteen years ago both players were involved in competitive fixtures and seasons against each other, as each lifted multiple trophies for their respective clubs, they were more than happy to visit Lampard’s favourite pub for a football-focused discussion. 

Regarding management and governance at Chelsea, Lampard acknowledged that club owner Roman Abramovic has the final say on most matters, but observed that this has worked in the club’s favour when its record over the past 20 years is considered.

“You don’t always get it direct,” he said when asked by Neville about whether or not ‘Roman always makes the call’.

“I think you respect that. I’ve always respected him – I wouldn’t be sitting in the comfortable position I’m in now without him in the first place, and he makes that decision. 

“To be fair, if you look back at the period, he’s made some good decisions!”

Moving on to discuss his move from Derby County – his first role in a managerial position – he observed that the ‘level’ significantly increased when transitioning from the Championship to the top-flight.

“No disrespect to Derby but it is what it is,” he noted. “At Chelsea you come into a team full of internationals, 20 odd of them, and so the level was up which brings a different breed of player. They challenge you more, I think.”